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Grouser bar welding

theironoracle

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A customer needs me to quote them to weld grouser bar material on his d5h lgp, 30" wide. I have never done this job so i need some help determining how many hours it will take to do this job by myself? Also any tips and tricks pertaining to this job......TIO
 

Scrub Puller

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Yair . . . theironoracle. It's been a long time but I used to set them up on the flat over the centre of the sprocket and get a couple of good tacks on either side and then jack the tractor forward with a little hydraulic jack pushing on a grouser.

As soon as they got over the idler in position for a down hand I'd burn them on with the big Hobart in a single pass. Continue on like that until they start to come up around the sprocket and weld the other side . . . you need to figure out how long it takes to set up, do the jacking (I have seen some blokes use a come-a-long) cut material, tack it and put down five feet of weld per plate.

It goes without saying you need the batteries disconnected and reposition the earth clamp onto every plate.

Cheers.
 

Nige

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Go on to Dura-Tuff's Web site. IMO theirs is the only grouser bar worth buying. There are all sorts of pdfs on there with grouser replacement procedures. A lot depends on if the worn existing grousers are flat or if they are worn more at the edges. If the latter you have 2 options, gas cut the existing grouser so it's flat before installing the new grousers, or order curved grouser bar from DT.
 

D6c10K

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When I did mine I ended up taking the track plates off. Lots of bolts to remove, but it made the welding a lot easier. I bolted the plates up to a small engine stand to hold them vertical, and used a guide to torch the grousers off straight. Torching them off preheated the plate to be ready to weld the new grouser on right away. As recommended, I left a gap between the new grouser and the plate for welding (think I used some 1/16" welding rod for spacers). Tacked the ends and did a 2-pass mig weld. Then engine stand made it easy to flip the plate from side to side so it was all flat welding.
After a couple of years I haven't broken any bars off so it must be ok.
 

Scrub Puller

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Yair . . . I suppose you can go to as much trouble as you like but, fairdinkum, it aint rocket science.

For a contractor it used to be a wet day job, do a few at a time (and put a few runs on the idlers if they stop in the right position) they are freaking grouser bars for goodness sake, a consumable, all they have to do is stay there and wear out.

I was never aware there was material made to accommodate curved ends we just put in a few extra runs to fill the gaps . . . I did catch a bloke using a grinder to clean up his welds once though.

I will say that that this was for our own machines if you are doing them for a client you may want to ask can does he want a job that gives the tractor back its normal traction in order to make a dollar or job that gives the tractor back its traction and also looks real pretty . . . and give the two different prices.

Cheers.
 
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mikedo

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nice info..
g.png
 

Nige

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I was never aware there was material made to accommodate curved ends we just put in a few extra runs to fill the gaps .......
That's the beauty of it Scrub, with curved-ended bar you need almost no prep at all and much less weld. So if you're charging a customer then any advantage you can find could increase how much profit you make on the job.
 

TOM V

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TIO, I regroused a D6H with 20" shoes last year and I had 30 hours billed to the customer, hope this helps.
Regards TOM V
 

Scrub Puller

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Yair . . .

That's the beauty of it Scrub, with curved-ended bar you need almost no prep at all and much less weld.

Gotcha Nige.I'm not knocking it, sounds a good idea.

I must say that in our application the lugs wore off pretty straight with just a bit of rounding at the ends.

I ran some numbers and then saw TOM V's post above . . . relugging grousers paying professional rates must be getting to a stage where it is a marginal exercise if you do prepwork on the plate . . . what is the cost of a new plate and bolts?

Cheers.
 
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Nige

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I have no idea how the numbers work out for smaller tractors but on D9 & D10 size tractors we can currently regrouser using Dura-Tuff bar for around 60-65% of the cost of new shoes. That's on SES (Super Extreme Service) shoes, other types the calculation may differ. We find that we get 3 lives from a shoe, original plus 2 regrouserings, before the base gets too thin and is at the risk of bending.
 

Multiracer

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Tom V
Did you do this on the machine ? Did you run stick or Mig ?
I own a D-6H with 22" shoes is why I ask.

Nige, that is some good wear for one shoe. I need to find a good set of SES plates, they would probably outlive my machine.
 
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TOM V

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Yes welded grouser bars on the machine, used FCAW process with about 70 lbs. of 1/16" dual shield.
 

overworked

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If old grousers are worn uneven, run a half inch or so on each end before tacking new grouser on, then just let her burn, great place to teach the kids how to weld.one person at idler and one at sprocket.
 

D6 Merv

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relugged grousers on my D4E once. pads were getting thin, but the extra meat from the bar will save them, and allow the plates to be run out with the chains. Took me a week by my self. Had to trim them true with gas, grind and then weld. Tacked them on in a upright position; and then just melt them together on the idler and sprocket when there flat. With a 225 Lincoln weldanpower. quite a good easy job as I quite like melting rods, keeps your hand in. and my labour is free, with the joys of owning bulldozers.
 

Nige

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See how things change with different conditions..? We couldn't afford to have one of our tractors stopped for that length of time, so we run a new (or rebuilt) set of tracks underneath, then the set that came off can be regrousered at (relative) leisure ready for the next tractor. Also only makes sense when you have more than one identical tractor.
 
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